I've been posting the occasional query here for plant ID for a year and two now, hoping to learn the names of common plants in my area.
Finally, it hit me. What I need is a plant ID database, containing just the common plants I see around here. Of course, while there are good websites that ID common plants, wild vegetation is so incredibly localized it's often hard to ID your common local plants in them. So I've built my own database, just a simple directory where I place photos I see posted here. I label each photo with the name of the plant it identifies (that's the file name). I've got over 150 photos so far. Now all my friends all think I'm a plant genius, since I can ID most local plants at will (or more likely they think I'm a hopeless plant nerd, ha-ha).
I'd definitely recommend building your own plant ID folder if you want to increase your IQ about your local vegetation.
Thank you to all those who post and ID plants here.
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GardeningCook
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Pictures and information on local plants seem like such a good idea.
Early in the garden year, I'm often asking myself "what weed is this?!" I knew the name ... just 6 months ago. I don't spend anytime thinking about weeds thru the winter. Then, they show up! I'm spending hours with them. Maybe returning two or three times before the garden plants take over.
I know you are talking about native plants, Benali, but it's good to be comfortable with our weeds - ha! Cussing them out by name gives us that little extra feeling of being in control. One thing about them, they go hand in hand with our gardening and most are invasives that have followed our gardening and farming, everywhere! I have often used information from Virginia Tech (LINK). That's clear on the other side of the US! We should all have something like that handy for the natural world around us
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Some natives, I recognize easily once they bloom. I was thinking about how easy it was for me to identify Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor) across the river from me while I was having lunch at a park this week. It has taken real thought and effort to recognize those bushes when they are not in bloom. That's like 11 months outta the year!
Steve
Early in the garden year, I'm often asking myself "what weed is this?!" I knew the name ... just 6 months ago. I don't spend anytime thinking about weeds thru the winter. Then, they show up! I'm spending hours with them. Maybe returning two or three times before the garden plants take over.
I know you are talking about native plants, Benali, but it's good to be comfortable with our weeds - ha! Cussing them out by name gives us that little extra feeling of being in control. One thing about them, they go hand in hand with our gardening and most are invasives that have followed our gardening and farming, everywhere! I have often used information from Virginia Tech (LINK). That's clear on the other side of the US! We should all have something like that handy for the natural world around us
.Some natives, I recognize easily once they bloom. I was thinking about how easy it was for me to identify Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor) across the river from me while I was having lunch at a park this week. It has taken real thought and effort to recognize those bushes when they are not in bloom. That's like 11 months outta the year!
Steve
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GardeningCook
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rainbowgardener
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Yeah, field guides are really handy and helpful and there are pocket editions that are easy to take with you.
But I think it is great to make your own listing with photos of the common plants and weeds around you. It does vary a lot by locality. And having a good list of say the 50 most common plants in your neighborhood would be a lot quicker than the field guide. And in the process of making your database, you will have learned a lot (and maybe won't need it anymore )
But I think it is great to make your own listing with photos of the common plants and weeds around you. It does vary a lot by locality. And having a good list of say the 50 most common plants in your neighborhood would be a lot quicker than the field guide. And in the process of making your database, you will have learned a lot (and maybe won't need it anymore
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GardeningCook
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GardeningCook
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- Posts: 787
- Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2015 8:35 pm
- Location: Upper Piedmont area of Virginia, Zone 7a